If you're a fan of great story and intense gameplay, this game delivers on both. It picks up seamlessly from the last installment, and explains the passage of time really well. The segue proves to be extremely satisfying, while also giving you a short, effective tutorial on the controls. If you're a fan of the franchise, go ahead and believe the hype - this game is worth it. I'll write the rest of this review for anyone who's new to GoW.
So if you're new to GoW, you may want to know that the story is completely linear (with allowances for plenty of side quests), and your decisions don't exist. Don't expect conversation options or Fallout IV decision-making or even the slightest story impact. Even the maps are closed and limited (although there are plenty of secrets and hidden bits). You basically have one story path that nonetheless leads to a very satisfying conclusion (IMO). Don't let the closed-option gameplay deter you, though. I'm a big fan of open-world RPGs, but this one not only held my attention, I actually bothered to do every. little. sidequest. because I didn't want it to be over.
Other things you may find useful to decide if you'd enjoy this:
1. The controls are intuitive and reasonably easy for casual gamers. I never did get all the R1+R1+R2 blah blah blah combos down, but they're there if you're into that. The moves are actually pretty great, and very versatile. Even in the endgame, I was trying out new combos and styles.
2. Weapon choices are different enough to really matter, and switching mid-battle is very easy. Some battles are much easier if you go from ice to fire to exploding spears, for example, or axe throws to thrusting spears, or some other combination. You're encouraged to play with moves and weapons to find your own playstyle, and the controls make it pretty straightforward to mix things up on the fly.
3. Crafting is really limited. Those who hate crafting, rejoice! You basically upgrade gear or techniques with money/resources or skillpoints, done. Every piece or set has its own bonuses, though, so you really do get to customize your outfit and weapons to how you like to play. If you do all the sidequests, you'll probably end up with more than enough to fully upgrade at least three sets of armor and all your weapons, plus some various weapon add-ons (hilts, for example). And the entire skill tree, all your runic attacks, etc. So there's no need to hold back.
4. It's a melee/ranged game, with emphasis on melee. If you're a stealth person, you're going to have to learn to love melee, or hate this game. That said, it's extremely fun to go in swinging for all you're worth, and watch the baddies explode around you.
5. Puzzles range from ridiculously easy to "ask the interwebs" hard. I do find it incredibly annoying when your companion offers advice before you've even had a chance to *look* at some of the puzzles, but that seems to be mostly limited to story puzzles that would block your progress until you figure them out.
6. The collectibles mostly have value of some kind, rather than just being meaningless junk you pick up as you run around (I'm looking at you, Ghost of Tsushima). You don't *have* to bother with them, but there are decent rewards in most cases, if you do.
7. The voice acting, script, and character animations blew me away. This game has better dialogue, facial expressions, body language, jokes, and overall emotional impact than almost any other game I've played. I still find the kid really annoying for 60% of the game, but I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to. The dynamic between father/son is brilliantly executed, far better than a lot of movies and TV shows. And shout-out to whoever designed Odin and Thor, too, since those two steal every scene they're in. Actually, Sindri was even better, now I think of it. Okay, they're almost all that good, even if the female characters are pretty mediocre.
That's not to say this game is flawless. A few of the characters are pretty weak as mentioned; I found the Jotunheim storyline tedious in the extreme; and I really wanted a bigger overall world. But that didn't keep this "casual gamer" from obsessing for 3 weeks until I'd finished every quest, sidequest, and collectible. So just apologize to anyone who'd like to interact with you for the next month, and add this to your calendar.
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God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök continues where GOW left off. It continues to impress with graphics and gameplay, it looks awesome. There is so much detail to this game , beautiful sound , controls are great and the story draws you in right away. If you liked God of war you definitely will love this. One of the best games of 2022. Very recommended
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tony
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2022
